FAIRMONT — Fairmont quarterback Julius Caulder knows that getting to play college football at any level is a blessing.
On Tuesday, the Fairmont senior, a three-time Robeson County Heisman award winner, had his signing ceremony to make his blessing official and fulfilled a lifelong goal of his. Caulder signed to play football next season with Missouri Valley College.
“To play after high school is a blessing and it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do and it’s my dream,” he said. “To get to play and to get a scholarship is best thing to ever happen to me.
Through a recruiting process that Caulder described as a “struggle,” having talks come through with Missouri Valley fall through within the last month was very gratifying to see that he did receive a scholarship.
“I never got that offer or that scholarship, it was just financial aid,” Caulder said. “God has a way for everything and He blessed me. Even like this at the last minute, He still just blessed me. I’ve got to take it and run with it.”
On top of being named the top player in Robeson County the last three seasons, Caulder finished seventh all-time in several offensive categories with 128 total touchdowns, 10,533 passing yards and 988 passing attempts. During his prep career, Caulder finished fifth in total offense with 11,634 yards, sixth in completions with 630 and eighth in touchdown passes with 103 total. He was also named the county Player of the Year in basketball this season as well.
With all the on-the-field accolades, there’s one that stands out the most to Caulder.
“I want to say I’m most proud of my grades to be honest. I have a 3.5 GPA and that’s what I’m most proud of,” he said. “All those awards, yeah those are big time things that I did, but what makes my family the most happy was my GPA. …Making those awards and having those grades are all you can ask for from a student-athlete.”
Academics also played a roll in Caulder’s decision with Missouri Valley being a small school with a low professor to student ratio.
Caulder said that without his support staff of family, teachers and coaches that this accomplishment wouldn’t be possible. Those same people were the ones that filled up the hallway around the table during his signing ceremony.
“I appreciate all my coaches, my family and the school staff. I appreciate all that because if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here and got that scholarship,” he said.
Missouri Valley is a NAIA school in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. The Vikings finished 9-3 and made the NAIA football championship first round.
At the next level, he hopes to bring the same old Julius Caulder to the field to a team that leans a little more on its passing.
“I hope I can bring everything I did in high school to the next level, but you never know,” Caulder said. “I’ve just got to grind every day. I hope I can bring the scrambling, the rolling out passes, but it’s whatever they tell me to do. I’m ready.”
That passing ability with the cast of athletic playmakers to get the ball to was one of the main reasons that Fairmont had a successful run the past two years, according to coach Mark Heil, who coached Caulder the last two seasons before retiring.
“We won 19 games in the last two seasons and if we don’t have Julius Caulder I don’t think we win but seven games,” Heil said. “He is a playmaker and has instincts that you can’t coach.”
Heil coached for 38 years and had high praise for Caulder.
“Athletic ability wise, he’s the best quarterback I’ve ever coached because of his ability to make play,” he said.
